OET interlinear NEH 4:16

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

מִן־הַ⁠יּ֣וֹם הַ⁠ה֗וּא

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

In this context, day may not refer to one specific day, but rather to a more general time. Alternate translation: “from that time on” or “after that”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

נְעָרַ⁠י֮ עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּ⁠מְּלָאכָה֒

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

This expression refers to the servants who worked for Nehemiah. While they probably were young adult males, the expression is specifically envisioning their role and status. Alternate translation: “my servants”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

עֹשִׂ֣ים בַּ⁠מְּלָאכָה֒

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

This refers to the work on the wall. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “worked on the wall”

Note 4 topic: translate-fraction

חֲצִ֣י נְעָרַ⁠י֮

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

Half means one part out of two equal parts.

Note 5 topic: translate-unknown

וְ⁠הַ⁠קְּשָׁת֖וֹת

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

As in 4:13, this means not just bows, but bows and arrows.

וְ⁠הַ֨⁠שָּׂרִ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

This likely means that certain officials literally stood behind the workers and the guards. That is, they were inside the wall and close to it, while the guards stood right at the wall and the workers worked on it. Alternate translation: “Officers stood behind all the workers and guards”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ⁠הַ֨⁠שָּׂרִ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

The implication is that the leaders were there to give orders in case there was an attack. But it is likely that Nehemiah also wanted them to offer encouragement and maintain good morale. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Officers stood behind all the workers and guards to encourage everyone and to give orders in case there was an attack”

וְ⁠הַ֨⁠שָּׂרִ֔ים

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

From the context here and the use of this term in 7:2, it appears that these “officials” were responsible for giving commands in military situations. Alternate translation: “and officers”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

Here, the word house describes all the people descended from a particular person. All of the descendants of Judah are being described as if they were one household living together. So this would ordinarily mean “the people of Judah”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

כָּל־בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה

(Some words not found in UHB: also/yet in/on/at/with,time the,that said to_the,people (a)_man and,servant,his spend_the_night in_the=middle Yərūshālayim/(Jerusalem) and=they_will_be to/for=us the=night guard and,the,day work )

However, in this context, the expression is not referring to all the people of Judah. Nehemiah is describing part of the people as if they were all of them. He means all of the workers and guards. The expression helps clarify that Nehemiah is no longer speaking just of his own servants, whom had divided into two groups to serve as workers and guards. Alternate translation: “all the workers and guards”